minced oath

American  

[minst ohth] / ˈmɪnst ˈoʊθ /

noun

1. a word used in place of a swear word for the sake of politeness, often resembling the profane word or expression closely enough in sound and syllable structure that the substituted curse is still identifiable.

   He said, “Dash it!” a minced oath that did not offend those around him.

---

Etymology

Origin of minced oath

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Mr Grieve’s maps for “gosh” in America show this “minced oath” to be popular not only in Mormon Utah, but in a contiguous region of the inland south, from Texas to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.

From Economist

School administrators likewise appreciate that the most explicit dialogue in John Cariani’s PG-rated script is the minced oath “Jeezum Crow.”

From Washington Post

Zooks, zōōks, interj. a minced oath—same as Gadzooks.

From Project Gutenberg

Egad, ē-gad′, interj. a minced oath.

From Project Gutenberg

Gad′so, an exclamation of surprise; Gad′zooks, an obsolete minced oath.

From Project Gutenberg